Ontology-Based Evaluation of Natural Disaster Management Websites: A Multistakeholder Perspective

Author List: Chou, Chen-Huei; Zahedi, Fatemeh Mariam;
MIS Quarterly, 2014, Volume 38, Issue 4, Page 997-1016.
In recent years, the world has witnessed a number of severe natural disasters, causing heavy losses to families, communities, and even nations. Natural disaster management (NDM) websites play an important role in assisting people through various disaster stages. However, such websites are complex and there is little research on standards and guidelines for their development and evaluation. In this paper, we develop an ontology-based evaluation tool to assess the utility of NDM websites. Two main groups of stakeholders— experts who are in charge of NDM websites and potential users of such websites—contributed to the process. A total of 73 experts validated the ontology developed for NDM web elements through a Delphi study. These experts also provided importance ratings for web elements in the ontology. In a survey of the second major group of stakeholders—potential users—818 participants provided another set of importance ratings for web elements in the ontology. The design theory in this work is based on utility theory. The metrics for the evaluation of websites are relative utility and absolute utility. Using the evaluation tool, we evaluated the NDM websites of the 50 U.S. states from the perspectives of the two groups of stakeholders. The results indicate a lack of readiness in most of these websites.
Keywords: Ontology; utility theory; natural disaster management; Delphi method; website evaluation; web elements; analytic hierarchy process
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#278 0.227 website users websites technostress stress time online wait delay aesthetics user model image elements longer waiting appeal attract utility internet
#157 0.165 evaluation effectiveness assessment evaluating paper objectives terms process assessing criteria evaluations methodology provides impact literature potential important evaluated identifying multiple
#135 0.094 project projects development management isd results process team developed managers teams software stakeholders successful complex develop contingencies problems greater planning
#33 0.088 web site sites content usability page status pages metrics browsing design use web-based guidelines results implications portal loyalty navigability addition
#147 0.065 process problem method technique experts using formation identification implicit analysis common proactive input improvements identify traditional stages identifying explicit setting
#116 0.057 research study influence effects literature theoretical use understanding theory using impact behavior insights examine influences mechanisms specifically context perspective findings
#233 0.054 group gss support groups systems brainstorming research process electronic members results paper effects individual ebs using used anonymity ideas discussion